


A Swell Wedding Day

by vassalady



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-12
Updated: 2012-06-12
Packaged: 2017-11-07 13:17:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/431603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vassalady/pseuds/vassalady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the wedding of Captain America and Iron Man. Tony gets antsy while Steve becomes reflective, and an old friend visits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Swell Wedding Day

"Where are you?" Tony said. Pepper, sitting on the couch, rolled her eyes.

"About seventy miles outside of the city. I think," Steve said over the phone. He had refused to use video, which made Tony suspicious.

Tony tried hard to keep his voice calm. "Not running out on me, are you? I'm not being stood up at the alter, Cap."

He heard Steve laugh. "I'll be there, don't worry."

"Good. That's good." Tony chewed his lip. "Because I'm not going to cover your half of the church rental if you skip out. I may be rich, but I can't pay endlessly for cancelled weddings."

"I'll be there, Tony."

"Good. You took off the tracker off your bike. I don't appreciate that." Tony saw Pepper drop the clipboard in frustration. 

"You only just noticed? I think I'm touched. I got rid of that thing months ago."

"And you just made me lose my bet with Clint."

"I don't think I want to know."

"Probably not."

Steve sighed. "Tony, don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine, fine, I won't. Although if this was a meeting, I could be sure then. Or a briefing. Or a, I don't know, knitting group. Book club. Whatever octogenarians do. "

"Goodbye, Tony."

"Yeah, yeah, hanging up now."

"Love you."

"Back at you." Tony slipped the phone back in his pocket. He made a face. "Back at you?" He threw himself down next to Pepper. "What am I, a noncommittal teenager?"

Pepper snorted. "I'd say that sounds about right."

"So where's Rhodey? He's supposed to hold my hand while I sit here and weep, ruining my mascara, isn't he?"

"No, that's what you do tomorrow an hour before when you find your dress doesn't fit. He's getting some rest, like you should as soon as we double check everything."

"Right, right." Tony picked up the clipboard. "Of course, this is one of the things I hire you for."

"It's your wedding."

"Steve should be doing this then."

"He did this morning. While you slept."

"You think he'll really be here?"

"Tony. Please."

"Right, ignore me."

 

The marriage of Iron Man and Captain America was heralded as the wedding of the century, even bigger than Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman's. It was speeding through gay marriage legislation in other states while receiving some of the most horrid vitriol of the anti-superhero ultra-conservative right. Most people didn't give a damn what they did, so long as at the end of the day, the two superheroes were still there to protect them.

Tony told him not to follow the news, but Steve did it anyway.

"This isn't anything like I imagined," Steve said. He straightened out his tie again.

Natasha readjusted it, too. It just wasn't behaving. "I wouldn't know." She finally either became satisfied or just gave up. She slapped Steve's hands away from it. "I hear Tony was a mess last night. Where did you go?"

"I did a lot of things yesterday." Steve abandoned the mirror and decided sitting was probably the best thing right now. "When he called, I was wandering this little town. Really charming, very picturesque. Small houses with gardens, kids were out playing, the day was just beautiful. Very nice."

"I don't think Stark is a picket-fence kind of guy." She crossed her arms and leaned against the back of a chair.

"No, he isn't. I'm okay with that, though. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be here."

"I'm still amazed you're here at all. It truly takes a superhuman to put up with Tony Stark until death do you part."

Steve returned to the mirror. He fingered a medal that adorned his uniform. "You know, right before I crashed... I imagined what my future could have been like. I wanted to marry Peggy. Bucky would be my best man if he hadn‘t... But things didn't really turn out that way, huh?"

"Sorry Stark and I are such poor substitutes."

"You're not substitutes. You're individuals." Steve saw Natasha smirk at him. "Having a best woman, though. That's a bit different." He smiled back at her through the mirror.

"More different than marrying a man?"

"Not any less different than marrying Tony Stark, at least."

"You certainly have an interesting history with his family."

"Yeah. Well." Howard and Tony had their similarities, but over the past couple of years, it had been their differences which had intrigued Steve.

"So how was he?"

"I don't know." Steve sighed. He'd visited Bucky's grave yesterday. He'd found himself there more times than he could remember while acting out this courtship with Tony. Natasha had often found him there, too. "I hope he's well."

"I'm not religious. I wouldn't be the one to ask"

"And that's fine. But if anyone deserves to find an afterlife, it's Bucky."

"And did you see her?"

Steve shook his head. "She asked me never to come again. I've respected that."

"It's not easy on either of you."

"No."

But enough of that. He was getting married. And he loved Tony. Once, he might have thought Peggy would walk down that aisle. But now he would go down it with his arm in Tony's.

"Come on, time to assemble, big man."

He laughed, then kissed Natasha on the head. She punched him in the stomach for it. But she'd gone easy, and she smiled as she shoved him out the door.

 

The wedding was a whirl of nerves and emotions for Steve, yet it was a dream. He couldn't look at anyone but Tony the entire time, and he couldn't stop wondering how he had ended up here, marrying the most infuriating, genius, beautiful man.

Halfway through, a sudden storm brewed, followed by Thor marching into the hall. "Friends! Have I missed the festivities?"

Thor's appearance cause an excited stir, but the wedding resumed. Steve and Tony left the hall, arm in arm, husband and husband with only paperwork left to process. They strode out to loud cheers.

In the limo, Tony reminded Steve they had enough time before they had to arrive at the reception. Steve agreed.

They ended up getting ice cream sundaes at a small place that stood where a movie theater had once been more than 60 years before. When they were done, they got back in the limo to join the party.

 

The reception was subdued when they arrived. Food was served, cake was cut, speeches were made. Rhodey shared many of Tony's youthful antics and follies to catcalls from many of the guests. Natasha stood, and Steve was moved by her words.

"Love isn't meant for everyone. But for those it finds, like Captain Steve Rogers, I wish them the best," she said. "No one has ever deserved such happiness more than Steve. No one here can say they've had an easy life. Yet none of us but Steve can say they've continually laid their lives on the line to do the right thing and protect the people. I once asked him why he fought, and he said the one thing that hadn't changed since his was that there are always bullies out there, and if you let them get away with it, they'll never stop. I cannot say that. I'm selfish. I initially turned down Steve's request to be here in the position of his best man. Romanticism, it means nothing to me. But, Steve, you are more than Captain America. You are a true, selfless hero, and one of the few men I genuinely respect. It's very humanizing to see you finally being a little selfish. Tony's more than lucky to be on the other end of that. To Tony and Steve." The crowd cheered.

The first dance song began. They were jeered onto the dance floor. "I suppose all those lessons will finally come in handy," Steve said.

"I certainly enjoyed them. Stubbed toes and all." Tony said. Steve blushed slightly.

While they moved together, Steve didn't know if he'd ever been happier.

When the song finished, Tony looked beyond Steve. "I think there's one more dance owed."

Steve turned around. His breath caught.

Pepper pushed Peggy's wheelchair forward.

"Steve," Peggy said. She smiled at him.

"What... Peggy, I thought..." Steve tried to sort his feelings, but he couldn't.

"If I may, Mr. Stark?"

Tony bowed to her, and he escorted Pepper off the dance floor.

Peggy held out her hands. "Come on, then, I could use a hand up."

Steve carefully helped her out of the chair. She was unsteady on her feet, but Steve supported her weight.

"It's a little late, but I never forget a date."

"Peggy, I... I'm happy to see you."

"Me, too." She patted her cheek as they swayed. "You look good like this, Steve. Young. In love. I'm happy for you."

Steve closed his burning eyes.

"I always knew you would meet the right partner."

The song ended then, and Steve had no idea how it had passed so quickly. He placed his lips to Peggy's thin hair.

"Peggy. I'm sorry I was late."

She gently squeezed his arm. "Life is a funny thing. Live it up, Steve. Listen to an old lady and your former commanding officer."

"Yes, ma'am." He helped her back into the chair. She raised a hand to her temple. He saluted back.

"You look sharp in that uniform, Captain."

"Thank you."

Peggy said she had to leave - it was much too late for her. A young woman, her great-niece she explained, pushed her from the dance floor.

 

Tony watched Steve and Peggy. It had been an impulse more than anything to invite her. Some type of test perhaps? A little masochistic, too, probably.

About the only thing he had going for him over the old lady was that he was relatively young, almost a baby compared to her. But that probably wouldn't stop Steve. He didn't seriously consider that Steve would leave him - they had weathered both the media circus and Steve’s initial hesitancy beautifully. And Steve had said I do and signed the marriage certificate. They were officially married.

Steve was not going to back out of that so easily.

Peggy left, and Tony allowed everyone to fill up the dance floor. Shoulders squared and running half a dozen different scenarios in his head, Tony squeezed past Clint and Bruce, who were dancing like they were on a disco floor, and swept Steve up into his arms.

"Thank you for inviting her."

"I didn't know if she'd accept or not. But Pepper said she showed up early for the ceremony. Hear she got a prime seat parked among the walkers."

"Tony, that's not funny."

"You just laughed."

Steve grinned. Tony bit his cheek. "I love you, Tony."

"Now how am I supposed to respond to that? I bring your ex to our wedding, your tragic first love, and all you say is you love me?"

"It's a part of my past, Tony. Right now, I'd settle for you just saying it back."

He supposed he could concede to Steve this time. He snaked one arm around Steve's neck. "I love you, Captain Steve Rogers." Tony held Steve's left hand up to his lips and kissed the ring. "And I'm not going to let you ever forget it."

Steve pulled Tony closer, and they danced until Tony's feet were sore, and Steve gave him the best foot massage of his life that night. Of course, that was only the beginning.

In the morning, they had to run off to fight an up-and-coming super villain, and the papers celebrated the first victory of the newly married, biggest name couple in New York City.


End file.
